1009.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 17 



glad to help individuals to the utmost of their ability in so 

 far as is consistent with their obligations to render service 

 which is of wider interest and importance. Individuals should 

 remember that the station is supported by public funds, in 

 the interest of the public. The public funds are a public trust, 

 and station men must first of all and chiefly work in the public 

 interest. 



That the bearing of this general principle may be made more 

 apparent, and in the hope that individuals may be led thereby 

 to exercise a wiser discretion in the demands they make upon 

 the station, a brief consideration of the usefulness and limita- 

 tions of some of these lines of work as well as of the extent to 

 which they can be undertaken will be presented. 



c 



Publicatiojsts. 



Our publications are chiefly of three kinds, — annual re- 

 ports, bulletins and circulars. These are designed primarily 

 to present the results of investigations carried on in the various 

 departments of the station, and to convey practical advice based 

 upon these results or upon the results of others. The bulletins 

 are sent without charge, so long as the supply lasts, to all citi- 

 zens of the State whose names are on our mailing list, or who 

 may apply for them. They are also sent to all libraries in the 

 State which will care for them, to the newspapers, to members 

 of agricultural college and station staffs, and to many persons 

 all over the world who apply for them. 



This year, for the first time, the annual report is to be pub- 

 lished in two parts, — popular and general. This change has 

 been made in order that those portions of the report which 

 are believed to be of widest popular interest may be given a 

 more general circulation. The number of annual reports here- 

 tofore available for distribution from the station has been 

 6,000, and it has not been possible to send it to all those on 

 our mailing list. Hereafter we are to have 16,000 copies of 

 the popular portion, and this will be sent to all on our general 

 State list. We are to have 4,000 copies of the general report, 

 and this will be sent to libraries, workers in other experiment 

 stations and, so far as possible, to such as apply for it. Fifteen 

 thousand copies of this part of our report will be bound with 



